March 1, 1952 Billy Cox, Gil Hodges, Pee Wee Reese and Jackie Robinson pose for the media during Spring Training, 1952. For the photo sleuths here, yes, they wore those left-arm patches during the 1951 regular season, but also them the following spring training.
1951 – OF Don Mueller hits 3 home runs in an 8 – 1 Giants win over the Dodgers. His first homer comes against Ralph Branca‚ coming off two consecutive shutouts‚ and Mueller hits his 3rd home run‚ a two-run shot, off Phil Haugstad. Sal Maglie is the winner‚ giving up 7 singles and hits Jackie Robinson on the wrist in the 3rd to force home the only Dodger run. Whitey Lockman gets plunked twice for New York. Al Dark and Eddie Stanky combine in the 5th on a triple play off a liner by Pee Wee Reese.
The Pirates club the Dodgers, 12 – 11, to win the opener of two with the league leaders. Brooklyn chases Howie Pollet and takes a 9 – 2 lead but the Bucs roar back with eight runs in the 7th inning. Clyde King, unscored on in his last eight games, is the loser. The Dodgers load the bases in the 9th, and Murry Dickson walks pinch-hitter Cal Abrams to force in a run and make the score 12 – 11. But Carl Furillo and Pee Wee Reese fail to deliver. Pete Castiglione has two homers for the Pirates. Brooklyn wins the second game, 4 – 3, when Jackie Robinson homers in the 10th, off Ted Wilks. Andy Pafko homers in the 8th, off Bob Friend, and Preacher Roe (17-2) goes all the way.
Sal Maglie outpitches Don Newcombe, 2 – 1, to cut the Dodger lead over the Giants to 9 1/2 games. Maglie allows four hits, including Billy Cox’s 300-foot homer, in winning his 17th. The Giants score the winner in the 7th when Bobby Thomson scores on a wild pitch. Pee Wee Reese goes hitless, ending his 22-game streak.
In a wild doubleheader featuring a double ejection of manager Charlie Dressen, the first-place Dodgers sweep the Giants, winning 6 – 5 in 11 innings, and 4 – 2. The Dodgers drive out Sal Maglie in the opener after the Giants build a lead on homers by Don Mueller and Willie Mays. Brooklyn counters in the 8th with a pinch homer by Roy Campanella, a homer by Pee Wee Reese, and a tying single from Gil Hodges. Bobby Thomson’s homer in the 11th puts the Giants ahead by one, but Preacher Roe wins it with a squeeze bunt. Ralph Branca wins the nitecap with homer help from Hodges and Duke Snider. Dressen is tossed in the 2nd inning of the second game for protesting pitch calls; after he takes a seat behind the dugout umpire Scotty Robb tosses him a second time. The victories put Brooklyn 6 1/2 games up.
Philadelphia’s Russ Meyer and Jim Konstanty hold Brooklyn to one hit but lose anyway, 2 – 0. Pee Wee Reese’s 2-run triple follows two walks in the 3rd and accounts for all the hits and runs.
On October 1, 1950, in the season finale, a Brooklyn win would have forced a playoff, and a Phillies win would give them there first World Series appearance since 1915. Don Newcombe faced Robin Roberts, at Ebbets Field. The teams traded runs in the 6th, when Willi Jones knocked in Dick Sisler with a two…
On August 31, 1950, In front of 14,226 fans at Ebbets Field, Brooklyn Dodger’s first baseman Gil Hodges became the fourth major league in the century to hit four home runs in a game. Lou Gehrig was the last player to accomplish this in 1932. Hodges, who also singles, breaks the modern major league…
7/28/1950 – The Cubs played in Brooklyn in a game that started at 8:30pm. After a 30-minute rain delay in the third and another that lasted 1:20 in the eighth, the contest finally ended at 1:21am. The official lineup presented to the umpires by Cubs manager Frank Frisch showed Bob Borkowski batting second and Carmen Mauro third. In the first inning, they batted in reverse order but both made outs. They repeated the process in the fourth inning. However, in the fifth inning of the score less game, the Cubs started the scoring. With two out and a run in, Wayne Terwilliger reached on Pee wee Reese’s throwing error, scoring the second run for the Cubs. Mauro then singled to left, scoring Roy Smalley. Dodger coach Clyde Sukeforth then pointed out to Umpire Lou Jorda that Mauro was out of order. Borkowski, the proper batter, was called out, the run was nullified and the inning was over. The Cubs eventually won the game, 12-5.
During the ninth inning of the Dodgers’ 10-8 loss to the Yankees in Game 5, the Ebbets Field lights are turned on, making it the first time a World Series game takes place under artificial lights. The first scheduled Fall Classic night game occurs when the Pirates host Baltimore for Game 4 at Three Rivers Stadium in 1971.
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